Your culture is an essential part of who you are. The pressure to assimilate makes suppressing your identity all too common. Nevertheless, people have been less inclined to disguise their heritage in recent years. I interviewed a few students on our campus about this topic. They were happy to share their own cultural pride.
Lucas Ortiz (freshman, medical laboratory science) is of Colombian and Puerto Rican descent. One thing he finds cultural pride in is a category we can all identify with: food. “My favorite foods are Colombian arroz con coco (coconut rice) and Puerto Rican pastelón. It’s like lasagna, but with sweet plantains instead of pasta,” he explained. Of course, there is more to Hispanic heritage than food. Lucas also appreciates the close-knit bonds that Latino families form. For many Latinos, the family unit is a central part of their identity. Get-togethers for holidays and more informal occasions are common.
“We are really kind and loving people,” says Ysabella Neves (sophomore, digital communications/Spanish). She was born and raised in Venezuela, but is also half Uruguayan. She loves the closeness and the warmth among people during celebrations. She is especially fond of Venezuelan holiday traditions, like listening to gaitas zulianas, a type of Christmas music. Ysabella’s favorite Hispanic food is hallacas. This meal consists of corn dough stuffed with meat and wrapped with plantain leaves. They are a staple of Venezuelan Christmas meals. She wishes more people realized how educated Latinos are. In the past, many forms of media have portrayed Hispanic Americans as criminals or villains.
Dedicated students like Fredly Canales (freshman, theology) are nothing like these harmful stereotypes. Fredly is Honduran and Dominican, and is a deeply spiritual person. He said that one of his favorite things about the Dominican Republic is the flag, and how it depicts an open Bible, symbolizing how religion is integral to their culture. Spirituality matters to Fredly, and he sees Hispanic Heritage Month as “an opportunity to share a little bit of heaven’s diversity here on earth.” He describes Hispanic people as “hard working and friendly,” and he is very proud of that. “In my opinion, being Hispanic is the best,” he told me. There are many wonderful things about being Hispanic. However, there are people who don’t feel the same way.
Fredly, Isabella and Lucas have all experienced racial discrimination. Lucas, who is from Texas, has occasionally dealt with ignorant racial stereotypes. “People have told me to go back to my own country, or called me a border hopper,” he reported. Fredly says that people often treat his heritage with skepticism. He and his siblings speak Spanish, but don’t look like typical Latinos. “Most people think I'm mixed or black. My parents are both fair-skinned.” It's a shame that in this day and age, people are still shamed for being different. However, there is a positive takeaway from all of this: None of the students who were interviewed reported experiencing discrimination on campus. Lucas mentioned the cultural clubs and how amazing it is that people get the opportunity to learn about other cultures. In my experience, Andrews University is a melting pot of cultures and ethnic groups, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. It is my hope that AU students maintain this mentality in the future.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.